Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) — I rise to acknowledge the great work of Newbury Primary School in the Yuroke electorate for the establishment of their first student empowerment leadership team. This team gives students the opportunity to contribute to decision‑making in their school community, and each student who is involved plays a key role and has special responsibility for student‑led activities. The team, which has only existed since the first half of this year, has already met with success in its efforts to raise funds for the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life. Through promoting the event and encouraging their peers to wear purple on the day and donate a gold coin, they were able to raise $356. What a wonderful effort from this group of young people. They are already planning their next event — a crazy hair day to support the Starlight foundation.

My sincere congratulations to student leaders Jerome, Aanya, Mete, Harseerat, Levi, Donnie, Vedant, Hareem, Ravneet, Alphonsa, Karmell and Adrian — well done to you all. It was a real honour to recently present the student empowerment team with their badges, which they wear with great pride. Representatives of all year levels have stepped up to take on this leadership role, and I am very proud of them all. With all that Newbury primary has achieved already in its first year under the enthusiastic leadership of principal Michelle Bromfield, her teaching and support team, and now her student leadership team, I am excited to see what the future holds at Craigieburn’s newest primary school.